Miami kicker Matt Goudis, who is recovering from a back injury this summer, keeps getting stronger, UM coach Al Golden said Thursday after practice.

Goudis, a junior, connected on 13 of his 17 field-goal attempts last season and made all 57 extra points. His 96 points are the eighth-most for a season in school history.

“I think the biggest thing right now is there’s nothing ailing him in terms of pain,” Golden said. “There’s no [real] medical condition. It’s just strength, and the way you build that back up is to kick, lift and do whatever you’ve got to do. Then you rest, let it heal and come back the next day. He’s making a lot of progress.”

As for the punting competition between Florida transfer Justin Vogel and Ricky Carroll, Golden indicated that nobody has emerged yet as the starter.

“They’re going back and forth,” Golden said. “We’re going to have a special teams scrimmage [Friday]. That will determine a lot. … We might not even determine who the starters are until next week.”

no fun in the sun

Golden shortened practice by more than an hour Thursday, giving the Hurricanes a welcomed respite from the intense sun and humidity.

“I cut it a little bit,” Golden said.

“I thought the humidity was catching up to us a little bit. They did a good job. They responded. We’re going to give them a big break [Thursday] and get them off their feet.”

When asked about the weather situation, cornerback Tracy Howard put it this way: “The sun is undefeated. But we fight through it. In between plays is when it really hits you.”